


Status Unknown

by Oudemia



Series: Who Holds the Devil [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Boys Kissing, Dating, First Dates, Flirting, Loki Redemption, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-12
Updated: 2014-11-12
Packaged: 2018-02-25 01:44:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2603981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oudemia/pseuds/Oudemia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Loki finally takes Tony up on that offer of a drink. </p><p>A direct sequel to 'Under It All' - if you want context, best to read that first. If you just want pretty men flirting unambiguously, then welcome!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Status Unknown

**Author's Note:**

> I think I wanted to prove to myself that I could do something other than beat Loki up - it was hard, but I did it... My first non h/c fic!
> 
>  
> 
> DISCLAIMER: These characters belong to Marvel, sadly, and not to me.

The time passes achingly slowly.

Loki is gone for five weeks, and the only news Tony has of him is the occasional update from Nick Fury, who seems oddly unfazed by Tony's interest. More than that, he seems almost... pleased? As though he'd been planning this all along, manipulating Loki into making some sort of a human connection - but no, that's just too weird. Clearly he values Loki's skills as an agent, but he hardly has time to be worrying about his social life. Whatever the case, the Director isn't giving much away as usual, only the assurance that Loki is recovering well, and in the end Tony just asks him to pass on a message when Loki gets out of quarantine. Call me.

He's still surprised when Loki does and it must have been all too obvious in his voice. 'What is it, Stark?' asks the god dryly. 'Did you not think that I would have a phone? How else do you suppose I am able to communicate with others in your realm?'

'I don't know, magic I guess?'

There's an audible sigh. 'One day I will explain to you what magic can and cannot accomplish. But for now, we have more important topics to discuss. I believe I owe you a drink and I do not like to leave my debts unpaid.'

Loki leaves the choice of venue up to Tony, and his only input is 'Might I suggest a drink rather than dinner? That way we are not committed to a long evening should this turn out to be an unfortunate mistake.' Well sure, that's one of Tony's signature plays too, but it jars being on the receiving end. Still, it probably does make sense under the circumstances. He picks a quiet unshowy bar in Brooklyn and Loki says 'very well' and hangs up without a word, leaving Tony to add 'doesn't do smalltalk' to the growing list of things he knows about his former enemy. And now there's the question of how to dress. It's a warm evening, so he goes with very very casual and keeps reminding himself that it's not a date, it's not a date, it's almost certainly not a date.

But then why is he so nervous?

Of course Loki is late. Tony's sitting in a booth nursing a drink when he feels a distinct change in the atmosphere. He looks up to see Loki striding across the room toward him, all long legs and sleek black hair, his outfit also deliberately casual. He seems oblivious to the appreciative looks cast in his direction by the other patrons of the bar, and Tony feels a swell of pride, but he keeps his tone offhand as he remarks, 'I knew you'd be late. Not that you have any excuse, since you can basically teleport. Where are you living now, by the way?

Loki looks oddly evasive as he slides into the booth, and makes a vague gesture over his shoulder, but Tony picks up on it at once.

'Oh, you are kidding, right?! Are you telling me you live right here in New York? Talk about returning to the scene of the crime! How come no-one's recognised you and turned you into a piece of sidewalk art?

Loki shrugs. 'The combination of a slight glamour and the Midgardian habit of ignoring the unlikely. I barely had to do anything. So yes, this is my home now.'

He raises his chin in a faintly confrontational manner, as if daring Tony to make an issue of it, but all Tony can think is 'All this time you've been living here and I didn't even know. What a waste...'

Instead he just calls the waiter over and orders a round of drinks, then settles back to give Loki a good once-over.

'You look better. Actually you look a lot better.' And god, yes, he does. Tony realises that he's never actually seen Loki in good health until now - it's breathtaking. The Asgardian is still pale and slim and sharp-featured, but he's no longer haggard, and the dark circles are gone from under his eyes. He looks like a prince.

Loki looks him up and down too, slowly and appreciatively, in a way that sends a warm fluttering sensation through Tony's core. 'You also look well. The last time we met, I was not in a position to appreciate it - my loss, it seems.'

OK, that was definitely flirting, wasn't it? From Loki, you can never quite tell. A simple compliment could be anything from a diversionary tactic to a small cog in a Machiavellian plan. Or, it could be just that - a compliment. If they're ever going to make anything of this, he is going to have to start taking the god at face value, at least sometimes.

'Thanks. Though I have to say, you win hands down as far as ageing gracefully goes. How old are you again? A couple of thousand years? I must seem like a kid to you, but...' It's on the tip of his tongue to point out that he could almost have had a kid who'd look Loki's age, and probably act like him too, but thankfully he stops himself in time. How creepy would that have sounded? 

'Age does not concern me,' Loki shrugs. 'Only character and intellect are of interest to me and you are not lacking in that area. It is experience that changes people, not time.' He takes a sip of his drink, watching Tony from under lowered lashes. 'And besides, I like the way you look.'

'I guess that proves your eyesight is totally cured then.' It's so easy just to banter, to make light of everything, but underneath Tony feels a slither of uncertainty. Loki's manner is seductive, sure, but what does it really mean? Is he prepared to take any of this seriously? Tony is suddenly wary, realising how invested he already is, and how easily he could get in too deep, when maybe Loki is simply using him to pass a couple of idle hours. That's what the god does, after all, he draws people in, charms them, gets them on his side, and then he walks away leaving devastation in his wake and doesn't look back. Tony's seen it before - Thor, Clint, Eric Selvig - is he prepared to risk joining them? And as he watches Loki run an elegant finger around the rim of his glass, and touch it unconsciously to his lips, his mind supplies the answer - yes, he is prepared. He wants Loki in his life, and he'll take friendship, anything, whatever Loki is willing to offer him. And with that in mind...

'Oh hey, that reminds me, I got you a present.' Tony reaches into his jeans pocket and tosses something across the table, and Loki catches it deftly in one hand. He frowns at the fine metal band in his palm, and looks up at Tony with a curious expression.

'I just thought, if you're determined to be a loner, fine, but you might need back-up again one day, so... It's a tracer - it's offline now, but just in case you're ever in trouble, in case your magic fails again and you don't want to call SHIELD, you can activate it - like this - and I'll know where you are. It's actually for me more than for you - that way I won't to have to worry about you.'

Loki's mouth opens and closes again, and he looks almost pained. Tony is certain he's about to refuse the gift, to make a scene even, but instead he just slips the ring onto his forefinger. 'That is thoughtful of you,' he says in a low voice, refusing to meet Tony's gaze. As he examines his hand, his long neck angled slightly, a strand of black hair falls in front of his eyes and Tony very nearly reaches to brush it away without thinking. When he realises what he's doing, he places both hands firmly on the table where he can keep an eye on them, and struggles to make his voice sound nonchalant as he asks, 'So, is everything back to normal now? How was solitary?'

Loki grimaces, 'I was very bored, and the isolation reminded me of my cell on Asgard. I had to find small ways to amuse myself and in the end I think they were rather glad to be rid of me.'

'Yeah, we've all been wondering, how did you break out of prison on Asgard in the first place? Thor never said.'

Loki favours him with a winning grin. 'You will not learn all my tricks, Stark - I may have need of them again some day.'

Magicians - they're a cagey lot. Tony can see his point though - Loki has clearly made some unsavoury alliances in the past, and he's probably learnt the hard way not to overshare. That's fine - he's got plenty of other questions.

'So how did you start working for SHIELD then? Did you just turn up one day with your resume? "Proven experience in the field of galactic warfare. Hobbies include mind control and defenestration"...'

'Would it surprise you to learn that they came to me?'

'Not really, no. Fury has an eye for talent and you're quite a catch, I imagine.' 

'Actually it was not quite like that. When I returned here I made no effort to hide my presence, and Fury sent Agent Barton to kill me.' 

'Then you're even better than I thought if you managed to talk Clint out of it - he's so not the forgiving type. How did you do it?'

'I didn't, exactly.' Loki smiles ruefully and opens the top few buttons of his shirt, pulling it to one side. Tony's mouth goes dry and at that moment he'd be hard pressed to remember his own name, but then he notices the scars. 

'He shot you?' 

'Eight times, in fact. This one was particularly painful... But the Widow stopped him.'

Tony raises his eyes with an effort. 'Really, why? I mean, no offence or anything, I'm glad she did, but...?'

Loki pauses thoughtfully and bites on his lower lip before continuing. 'Back in the basement, you said some things I did not wish to hear.'

'Look, I'm sorry about that, Loki - I remember being kind of a dick to you. You'll learn to ignore most of what I say - my other friends do.'

Loki shakes his head, a trifle impatiently. 'It was not unwarranted. And I did think on it as I promised. I believe you were right, at least in part - when I came back here I wanted to be caught. I had not thought further than that, but it seemed fitting somehow to let the citizens of Midgard decide my fate. Agent Romanov, I think, can recognise when a person has gone as far as they can down one road, and is waiting for someone to offer them another. I would have accepted death, I know that now, but instead...' Loki makes an eloquent all-encompassing gesture with his hands. 'And it is not so bad after all. The work keeps me from boredom, and Director Fury is a fair taskmaster. I have had worse.'

Part of Tony ponders the meaning of that last remark while the rest of him wonders if Loki has left his shirt unbuttoned deliberately. It's proving to be most distracting - the dark fabric against the white skin, like a marble statue swathed in.. oh god, he's starting to think in poetry. This is bad, this is so bad.

But then he hears Loki talking again and wrestles his attention back up to his face. 'You referred to your 'other' friends,' Loki is saying. 'Is that what we are now, friends?'

It doesn't sound like mockery, more like an honest question, and Tony answers as honestly as possible. 'If you want. Especially since it turns out we're practically neighbours - we could just, you know, hang out sometimes.'

'And what would you have to gain from such an arrangement?'

'See, now I can't tell if you're messing with me. Are you really that suspicious of everyone's motives or are you just fishing for compliments? I find you interesting, ok - need me to spell it out?'

'Perhaps I do.' Loki's voice is a soft purr and he half-reaches across the table. 'And it would only be fair for me to admit the same. Since I first encountered you in your tower you have been a subject of some fascination for me. You were so fearless, facing up to me like that, stripped of your armour - I felt that I could speak to you then as an equal. And what, I wonder, was going through your mind?'

'Apart from 'shit oh shit I'm going to die'? Well... I do remember at one point feeling kind of bad for you.'

Loki's brow furrows. 'How so?'

If there's an edge to Loki's voice, Tony doesn't remark on it and carries on, 'I don't know, you were so not what we were expecting. Not like Thor at all - less shouty for one thing. You were quiet and graceful and sort of polite most of the time, and I just thought you looked... desperate, like things had got out of hand and you didn't know how to stop it.' Loki draws back his hand, and something tells Tony not to keep going but he does anyway. Don't real friendships begin with honesty? 'I thought you looked tired.'

Loki's mouth is a hard thin line. 'I wanted your subservience, not your sympathy.'

How can he still be so sensitive, so raw? After everything he's been through, everything he's done, Loki is still desperately touchy. But then again that should hardly come as a surprise - normal people don't take their grudges out on an entire planet.

The trouble is, Tony's not exactly known for his tact, and he has to proceed carefully as he tries to placate Loki, 'It doesn't mean I wasn't scared of you as well, if that's what you want to hear. I'm just saying I saw something underneath. Something human - more than human.' Another image rises in his mind of Loki shivering in a cellar, blind, helpless and alone. 'Anyway, I've seen you in a much worse state since then, and it didn't stop me from respecting you or thinking you're a total badass.' 

Loki's eyes harden for an instant, and Tony wonders with a bright flash of fear how many people have ever seen the god that vulnerable, and been allowed to live. But almost more frightening is the idea that Loki might walk out of the bar in a huff, and Tony will never set eyes on him again. His heart in his mouth, he suggests another drink and can't stop himself from grinning when Loki nods curtly and gestures to the waiter. 

When he turns back to Tony, the fierce look is gone, and he appears to have relaxed, at least a bit, as he says, 'I am tired of talking about myself, tell me more about you - I believe you were betrothed until a few months ago?' 

Tony's eyebrows lift in surprise. 'How would you know that?'

'I read the news, Stark - you are famous, after all.' 

Oh. OK, that does make sense, but it's still hard to imagine Loki reading the gossip columns. How bored has he been?? 

'Yeah, it was a mutual thing, but that doesn't mean it was easy. Pepper felt that her life was being taken over by mine, and I was spending too much of my time feeling guilty about that. We're good now though, she'll always be a close friend.' What he doesn't say it that she's spoilt him, making it impossible for him to return to the life he had before her - the emptiness, the shallow conquests. He can't resent her for it, but she's changed everything and now he feels lost, stranded in limbo. 

As if reading his thoughts (he can't, can he?), Loki murmurs, 'Love is cruel, is it not? Sometimes I think it would be better not to care at all. But then...'

Loki falls silent and Tony looks at him sharply. He doesn't know anything about Loki's past, or what relationships he might have had, but he'd be willing to bet there's something dark and unhealed back there. You can't be around Loki without sensing it - layer upon layer of hurt, and over it all, that fragile veneer of pride. And he wants more than anything to find out what's under it, when you've peeled away all the layers. If only you could get close enough...

'How about you - anyone special in your life?' And it scares Tony how anxious he is for Loki to say no. 

Loki makes a soft sound, almost a sigh. 'No, not for some time. At least no-one of consequence. In this city it is not hard to find people willing to share one's bed for a few hours and it passes the time well enough.' His eyes grow distant, hazy, and Tony has to concentrate on his breathing in order to slow the thudding of his heart. 'And yet it is one thing to feel the glide of another's skin against one's own, to join your flesh, your breath with theirs...' Oh god, please stop... Tony closes his eyes briefly and when he opens them Loki's are fixed on his, and they are almost glowing. 'But it does nothing to soothe my mind or my heart. Sometimes I wish for something more. I think that is why I agreed to your invitation. Or shall we agree now to call it a date?'

Tony chokes on his drink. 'I... yes, it's...' He clears his throat. 'Sorry, I guess I wasn't sure if it was or not.'

Loki merely arches an eyebrow. 'Well then I am curious as to your definition of the word. To my mind, we are two people enjoying the novelty of each others' company, in the hope that the night will later take us in a more carnal direction. Would you not say that that qualifies?'

Loki sits back, one arm flung casually along the back of the couch, and maintains a steady gaze.

It's suddenly a little hard to breathe. 'Wow - Asgardian flirting is kind of up front, huh?'

'No, generally it is not. Traditional courtships can take centuries on Asgard. But I have wasted far too much time on lies and contrivance already. So tell me now, am I mistaken?'

'I didn't say that. In fact, OK, definitely no. Let's both be honest then - I do want us to be friends, I mean that, but I'd be lying if I said that's all I want.'

'Ah. Really?'

Tony takes a deep breath. He's only had a couple of drinks but his head is spinning and he almost doesn't trust himself to speak. 'OK, I guess I'm doing this... I haven't stopped thinking about you since the safe house. I think it started before then but I blocked it out and now... I feel like I'm going crazy. You do things to me I can't even describe and it's all I can do to hold myself back from grabbing you right here in this bar.'

As he speaks, he watches a slow hungry smile light up Loki's face. And slyly his foot insinuates itself between Tony's ankles, stroking gently up the inside of his leg. 'Why hold yourself back then?'

'Honestly? Because if we start something here, I won't want to stop, and I think there are laws about what you can do in public in this country.'

Loki laughs throatily and looks around as if he's considering the resulting scenario, and Tony feels light-headed as his own imagination follows suit. 

'But if we were not in public...' he hears Loki say quietly.

Cool fingers touch Tony's and then everything is whirling around itself and suddenly they are standing together in a stylish top-floor apartment, one entire wall offering a spectacular view of the city. It's not dissimilar to the top of Stark Tower, Tony realises with a jolt, and doesn't quite know what to make of that thought. Loki gestures around, a little shyly. 'So now you know where I live.'

He takes a step toward Tony and adds with a touch of mockery. 'I wish to make it clear that I am not abducting you - I can return you discreetly whenever you wish.'

Tony is taken aback by the timbre of his own voice as he growls, 'Don't you dare.' 

All the pent-up feelings of the last few weeks propel him forward and he slams Loki against the bar, gratified by the widening of those green eyes as he crushes his mouth to Loki's. The god reaches back to brace himself against the counter and pushes forward, matching the intensity of the kiss. The movement bends him like a bow, and his hip presses against Tony's with a sinuous motion. Gasping, Tony slides his hands around the slim waist and runs them up the supple curve of the spine until Loki's head falls back - his eyes are closed, his lips red and bruised, and he draws in a deep shuddering breath before straightening up and meeting Tony's admiring gaze.

'So. Definitely not a dream this time?' he murmurs, and Tony grins back at him. 'If it is, I'm spending the next week in bed, just in case.' He leans forward to kiss Loki again, but more gently now, and the god responds in kind, his body moulding itself pliantly to Tony's. His tongue flicks against Tony's lips as he pulls back just long enough to purr 'Only a week? I am not certain I will wish to let you go so soon.' Loki's voice sends a subtle fire coursing through Tony's veins and he feels Loki's hands in his hair, pulling him close, as if he could wish to get away. As if he has any conscious thought right now except 'god, yes!'. Loki's mouth moves greedily along his jawline, and Tony bucks as he feels a warm tongue tickling his ear and hears a low chuckle. I'm making out with the God of Mischief, he thinks, and can't suppress a giggle.

Then there's warm breath on his neck, and he feels it quickening as he slides his hands down Loki's back and under his belt - he squeezes gently and feels Loki shudder against him. 'Mmm, I knew you would have talented hands, Stark,' the god mumbles into his shoulder.

'You know, you have to call me Tony now that you've stuck your tongue in my ear. Those are the rules on Midgard - you've still got a lot to learn.'

Loki nips playfully at his shoulder, making him squirm. 'Then you will have to teach me, and I think you will find me a keen student.' 

Tony is aware of his belt buckle loosening, although he could swear that he can still feel both of Loki's hands in his hair - he genuinely doesn't know if it's magic, sleight of hand or his own reeling senses. But before this goes any further, there's one thing he has to know..

'Wait.' Tony pulls away gently, and Loki falls back against the bar, panting and a little flushed. Tony steps forward to take the god's face in his hands, but Loki turns at the last minute and catches one of Tony's thumbs between his teeth, closing his lips around it with a soft hum. Tony groans, helpless with need. 'Really Loki, stop, I need to ask you something.' 

Loki tilts his head questioningly, but without releasing his hold, and Tony forces himself to continue, even though there doesn't seem to be enough blood getting to his brain.

'I know it's too soon to ask, but I really need to know - is there going to be a second date? It's just... I've got years of bad karma stored up from before and it would kind of serve me right if you blew me off tomorrow morning. I need to get the suspense out of the way now - can I see you again?'

Loki finally releases his thumb and stretches against the counter, leaning back on his elbows and eying him with smug satisfaction. 'Can you? Hmmm, let me think.' Tony holds his breath until Loki continues. 'For five excruciating weeks I have sustained myself with thoughts of you, of your hands on me, your lips against my own. Did you really think I would be satisfied with a single night?' He takes Tony's hand again and guides it to his mouth, running a forefinger teasingly along his lower lip. 'What a vain trivial creature you must think me. Let me show you how serious I can be.' And as his mouth closes around Tony's finger, Tony's last fully coherent thoughts skitter away like drops of water on a hotplate - the future can take care of itself, after all, all that matters is now.


End file.
